Negative electrode active material and method for producing the same

ABSTRACT

It is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a negative electrode active material having excellent rate characteristics and cycle characteristics. One embodiment according to the present invention is a negative electrode active material comprising a carbon-containing composite, wherein, in the carbon-containing composite, an active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium, conductive nanofibers and conductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon material and are integrated.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to negative electrode active material anda method for producing the same, preferably negative electrode activematerial for a lithium secondary battery and a method for producing thesame.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, lithium ion batteries that feature light weight andhigh charge capacity have become widely used, as secondary batteries incellular phones, notebook computers, electric cars and the like whosesize and weight have been reduced and whose performance has beenimproved. In applications such as battery cars and electric tools, oneproblem is that high-current load properties is insufficient. Asmeasures to address this problem, efforts have been made to reduceelectrode impedance, more specifically, efforts have been focused onimproving rate characteristics. In addition, volume change accompanyingcharge and discharge also leads to an increase in electrode impedanceand the impedance between electrode materials and current collectors,and therefore, reducing the amount of volume change is one approach toachieve a reduction in impedance.

As a study of resistance reduction, Patent Literature 1 discloses anegative electrode for a lithium ion battery including a negativeelectrode active material, a conductive carbon material containingcarbon fibers and a binder, wherein the carbon fibers are present in astate of not forming aggregates having a size of 10 μm or more. InPatent Literature 1, a mixture obtained by dry-mixing a negativeelectrode active material and carbon fibers, and polyvinylidene fluorideas a binder are stirred and mixed to obtain a negative electrode slurry.

Patent Literature 2 discloses a lithium ion battery including a negativeelectrode obtained by mixing carbon nanohorns with a graphite material.

Patent Literature 3 discloses a negative electrode material obtained bymixing carbon nanotubes and a thermoplastic resin and heating themixture in an inert gas to coat the carbon nanotubes with carbon bypyrolysis.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP2007-42620APatent Literature 2: JP2010-123437A Patent Literature 3: JP2010-129169ASUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

However, in all of the above techniques, further improvement is requiredin terms of rate capability and cycle characteristics.

Accordingly, it is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention to provide negative electrode active material having excellentrate characteristics and cycle characteristics.

Solution to Problem

One aspect of the present invention provides a negative electrode activematerial comprising a carbon-containing composite,

wherein, in the carbon-containing composite, an active material capableof intercalating and deintercalating lithium, conductive nanofibers andconductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon material and areintegrated.

In addition, another aspect of the present invention provides a methodfor producing a negative electrode active material, comprising:

(1) mixing active material capable of intercalating and deintercalatinglithium, conductive nanofibers and conductive carbon particles to obtaina carbon-containing mixture; and

(2) coating the carbon-containing mixture with a carbon material tointegrate the active material, the conductive nanofibers and theconductive carbon particles.

Advantageous Effect of Invention

According to this exemplary embodiment, negative electrode activematerial having excellent rate characteristics and cycle characteristicscan be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the structure ofnegative electrode active material and a method for producing the sameaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an SEM photograph of a carbon-containing mixture in anExample.

FIG. 3 is an SEM photograph of a carbon-containing composite in anExample.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of theconfiguration of a lithium secondary battery according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the results of the rate characteristics ofbatteries in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments will be described below.

Exemplary Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process for producing acarbon-containing composite in this exemplary embodiment.

An active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium(capable of being charged and discharged) is shown in FIG. 1(a).Conductive nanofibers such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, orsilicon fibers are shown in FIG. 1(b). Conductive carbon particles suchas carbon nanohorns are shown in FIG. 1(c).

First, the active material, the conductive nanofibers, and theconductive carbon particles shown in FIGS. 1(a) to (c) are uniformlymixed to form a carbon-containing mixture (FIG. 1(d)). Next, theobtained mixture is placed in a predetermined container, and thecarbon-containing mixture is coated with a carbon material by using achemical vapor phase deposition method and integrated to form acarbon-containing composite (FIG. 1(e)).

In the carbon-containing composite in this exemplary embodiment, theactive material is buried in a conductive network structure made of theconductive nanofibers, and further the active material, the conductivenanofibers and the conductive carbon particles are integrated byperforming carbon coating on the carbon-containing mixture having astructure in which the conductive carbon particles are in contact withthe conductive nanofibers and the active material. By using thecarbon-containing composite in this exemplary embodiment, the contactresistance between the conductive nanofibers, the conductive carbonparticles and the active material is reduced, and accordingly resistanceto current flow in the electrode is reduced in the conduction path ofthe conductive network. In addition, there is the effect of suppressingthe breaking of the conduction path due to detachment caused by volumechange during charge and discharge.

The active material is not particularly limited as long as it is amaterial that is capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium.As active material, for example, carbon materials such as graphite,coke, soft carbon, and hard carbon, silicon, and silicon-containingcompounds such as silicon oxides can be used. Among these, graphite ispreferred in terms of high capacity and long life. In addition, in termsof high-speed charge and discharge and long life, soft carbon and hardcarbon are preferred. In addition, for higher capacity exceeding that ofcarbon-based materials, silicon and silicon oxides are preferred.

The silicon oxide is not particularly limited and is represented, forexample, by SiO_(x) (0<x<2). The silicon oxide may include Li, andsilicon oxide that includes Li is represented, for example, bySiLi_(y)O_(z) (y>0, and 2>z>0). In addition, silicon oxide may include aslight amount of a metal element(s) and/or a nonmetal element(s). Therange of x is preferably 0.5≦x≦1.5. When x is 0.5 or more, the amount ofthe silicon phase (or Si particles) is prevented from being excessive,and volume change is easily reduced. In addition, when x is 1.5 or less,the amount of the silicon phase (Si particles) increases, and the chargeand discharge capacity is easily increased. The silicon oxide preferablyhas a configuration in which a silicon phase (Si particles) is presentin a silicon oxide phase. A silicon phase causes an increase in chargeand discharge capacity. When a silicon oxide phase is present around asilicon phase, volume change is reduced. The content of the Si particlesin the silicon oxide is preferably 35 to 65%. The silicon oxide cancontain, for example, 0.1 to 5% by mass of, for example, one or two ormore elements selected from among nitrogen, boron and sulfur. When aslight amount of a metal element(s) and/or a nonmetal element(s) ispresent, the electrical conductivity of the silicon oxide can beimproved. In addition, the silicon oxide may be crystalline oramorphous. The particle diameter (volume average) of the silicon oxideis, for example, 500 nm or more and 100 μm or less, preferably 1 μm ormore and 40 μm or less.

Examples of the conductive nanofibers include fibrous materials such ascarbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers and silicon nanofibers. Among these,as the conductive nanofibers, conductive carbon fibers such as carbonnanotubes or carbon nanofibers are preferred, and carbon nanotubes aremore preferred, in terms of conductivity. In addition, in terms ofhigher capacity, silicon nanofibers are preferred.

The diameter of the conductive nanofiber is preferably 1 nm or more and500 nm or less, more preferably 5 nm or more and 300 nm or less, andfurther preferably 30 nm or more and 100 nm or less. In addition, thelength of the conductive nanofiber is preferably 1 μm or more and 1000μm or less, more preferably 2 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and furtherpreferably 3 μm or more and 100 μm or less. When the diameter of theconductive nanofiber is 100 nm or less, the conductive nanofibers andthe active material can be in contact with each other more effectively.When the length of the conductive nanofiber is 1 μm or more, the effectof the conductive path can be more effectively exerted. In addition,when the length of the conductive nanofiber is 1000 μm or less, theconductive nanofibers can be easily dispersed.

Examples of conductive carbon particles include carbon nanohorns,acetylene black, ketjen black, furnace black, micrographite andamorphous carbon. The average particle diameter (volume) of theconductive carbon particles is, for example, 1 nm or more and 200 nm orless.

The conductive carbon particles are preferably carbon nanohorns. Thecarbon nanohorns (hereinafter also referred to as CNHs) are aggregatesin which the diameter of each nanohorn is approximately 2 to 5 nm, andthe nanohorns aggregate and form a spherical shape with their tipsoutside. The diameter of the carbon nanohorns is, for example, 30 nm ormore and 200 nm or less. In addition, by performing opening treatment onthe CNHs, the internal space can be used, and the specific surface areais significantly improved. Therefore, by performing opening treatment onthe CNHs, battery capacity can be increased. Examples of the method foropening fine pores in nanohorns include a method of oxidizing parts ofnanohorns. In addition, the size of the openings (micropores) can becontrolled by the oxidation conditions. For example, when oxidation dueto heat treatment in an oxygen atmosphere occurs, the size of poresformed in nanohorns can be controlled by changing the treatmenttemperature. For example, when the temperature of the heat treatment is350° C. or more and 550° C. or less, pores having a diameter of 0.3 nmor more and 1 nm or less can be formed in nanohorns. In addition,openings can also be formed by treatment with acid as shown inJP2003-95624A. For example, by treating carbon nanohorns at 110° C. for15 minutes using a nitric acid solution, pores of about 1 nm can beformed. In addition, for example, by treating carbon nanohorns at 100°C. for 2 hours using hydrogen peroxide, pores of about 1 nm can beformed.

Examples of the method for mixing the active material, the conductivenanofibers, and the conductive carbon particles include, but are notparticularly limited to, a concentration-solidification method and animpregnation method. When the concentration-solidification method or theimpregnation method is used, an aqueous system, an organic solventsystem, or the like can be used as the dispersion solvent, and hexane,methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, benzene, toluene, or the like ispreferably used.

The coating of the carbon-containing mixture with the carbon materialcan be carried out, for example, by a sputtering method, an arc vapordeposition method, and a chemical vapor deposition method. Among these,the chemical vapor deposition method is preferred, and in terms ofeasily controlling the vapor deposition temperature and the vapordeposition atmosphere, a chemical vapor phase deposition method (CVDmethod) is more preferred. In the CVD method, vapor deposition can beperformed with the carbon-containing mixture placed in an alumina orquartz boat or the like, or vapor deposition can be performed with thecarbon-containing mixture suspended or carried in a gas.

In carbon coating by a CVD reaction, carbon coating can be performed bypyrolyzing a carbon source to produce carbon, and attaching the producedcarbon to the carbon-containing mixture. The implementation conditionsand the implementation environment can be appropriately selected. Thecarbon source is not particularly limited, and, for example, hydrocarboncompounds such as methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, or benzene,organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, toluene, or xylene, orcarbon-containing gases such as CO can be used. In addition, as theatmosphere gas, for example, inert gases such as argon and nitrogen, ora mixture of inert gases and hydrogen can be used. The reactiontemperature can be, for example, 400° C. or more and 1200° C. or less.

The flow rate of the carbon source and the atmosphere gas in the CVDreaction can be appropriately selected and is, for example, 1 mL/min ormore and 10 L/min or less. The flow rate of the carbon source ispreferably 10 mL/min or more and 500 mL/min or less, and when the flowrate of the carbon source is in this range, the carbon-containingmixture can be more uniformly coated. In addition, the flow rate of theatmosphere gas is preferably 100 mL/min or more and 1000 mL/min or less.The pressure in the CVD reaction can be appropriately selected and is,for example, 10 to 10000 Torr. The pressure is preferably 400 to 850Torr.

The thickness of the carbon film is not particularly limited and ispreferably 1 nm or more and 100 nm or less, more preferably 5 nm or moreand 30 nm or less. By setting the thickness of the carbon film in theabove region, sufficient conductivity can be provided. When thethickness of the carbon film is 1 nm or more, the conductivity can bemore effectively improved. In addition, when the thickness of the carbonfilm is 100 nm or less, excessive increase volume is prevented andsufficient capacity can be obtained.

The content of the active material in the carbon-containing mixture ispreferably 50 to 99% by mass, more preferably 85 to 99% by mass. Inaddition, the content of the conductive nanofibers in thecarbon-containing mixture is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, morepreferably 1 to 5% by mass. In addition, the content of the conductivecarbon particles in the carbon-containing mixture is preferably 0.1 to10% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass.

In this exemplary embodiment, it is preferred that carbon nanotubes beused as the conductive nanofibers, and carbon nanohorns be used as theconductive carbon particles. When carbon nanotubes and carbon nanohornsare used in combination, this results in a uniform mixture thereof,while the carbon nanohorns that feature good conductivity and highdispersibility prevent the aggregation of the carbon nanotubes, andthus, an effective conductive path can be formed.

In addition, it is preferred that the carbon nanohorns and the carbonnanotubes be immobilized by chemical bonds formed between carbon atomsincluded in the carbon nanohorns and carbon atoms included in the carbonnanotubes. More specifically, it is preferred that the carbon atoms offive-membered rings, seven-membered rings, and the like other than sp2structures at the tips and side surfaces of the carbon nanohorns formbonds with the carbon atoms of the carbon nanotubes. These bonds can beformed, for example, by heating the carbon-containing mixture to hightemperature (for example, 500 to 1300° C.) in an inert gas atmosphere orin a vacuum. This heat treatment can also be performed, for example, byusing the heat treatment that is conducted in the CVD method.

In addition, it is preferred that the carbon nanohorns and the activematerial be immobilized by chemical bonds that are formed by carbonnanohorns and functional groups that are present on the surface of theactive material. Functional groups are inherently present on thesurfaces of many active materials, and functional groups can also beadded to active material surfaces by acid-treating active materials.More specifically, it is preferred that the carbon atoms offive-membered rings, seven-membered rings, and the like other than sp2structures at the tips and side surfaces of the carbon nanohorns formbonds with functional groups and defect portions on the active materialsurface. These bonds can be formed, for example, by heating thecarbon-containing mixture to high temperature (for example, 300 to 1300°C.) in an inert gas atmosphere or in a vacuum. This heat treatment canalso be performed, for example, by using the heat treatment that isconducted in the CVD method.

For example, a carbon-containing composite in which carbon nanohorns areattached to the surfaces of silicon oxide particles is subjected to heattreatment in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere. By heat-treatingthe carbon-containing composite at high temperature at this time,five-membered rings and seven-membered rings in the tip portions of thecarbon nanohorns are bonded to the surfaces of the silicon oxideparticles. An advantage of the tip portions of the carbon nanohornsbeing bonded to the surfaces of the silicon oxide particles is that theresistance at the interfaces between the silicon oxide particles and thecarbon nanohorns can be decreased, and the flow of electricity can beimproved. The temperature of this heat treatment is, for example, in therange of 300 to 1800° C., preferably in the range of 500 to 1300° C.When the temperature of the heat treatment is in these ranges, the tipportions of the carbon nanohorns can be bonded to the surfaces of thesilicon oxide particles.

In addition, it is preferred that chemical bonds be formed between thesurface of the active material, the surface of the carbon nanotubes andthe surface of the carbon nanohorns. The bonds between the carbonnanotubes and the active material can also be formed in the same manneras the bonds between the carbon nanohorns and the active material.

The carbon-containing composite obtained in this exemplary embodimentcan be used as negative electrode active material, and can beeffectively used particularly in the negative electrode of a lithiumsecondary battery.

Exemplary Embodiment 2 [1] Negative Electrode

The negative electrode can be made, for example, by forming a negativeelectrode active material layer including the negative electrode activematerial in the exemplary embodiment and a negative electrode bindingagent on a negative electrode current collector.

The negative electrode can be made, for example, by forming a negativeelectrode active material layer including the negative electrode activematerial in the exemplary embodiment and a negative electrode bindingagent on a negative electrode current collector. Examples of the methodfor forming the negative electrode active material layer include adoctor blade method, a die coater method, a CVD method, and a sputteringmethod. It is possible to first form the negative electrode activematerial layer and then form a thin film of aluminum, nickel, or analloy thereof by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering toprovide a negative electrode current collector.

In addition, the negative electrode active material layer may include anactive material other than the negative electrode active material in theexemplary embodiment. Examples of other active materials includegraphite, acetylene black, ketjen black, carbon fibers, carbonnanotubes, carbon nanohorns and graphene sheets. By mixing the negativeelectrode active material in the exemplary embodiment and these activematerials, an increase in capacity, a reduction in internal resistance,and the like can be obtained.

In addition, the negative electrode active material layer may include aconductive auxiliary agent such as carbon from the view point ofimproving conductivity.

The binding agent for the negative electrode is not particularlylimited, and, for example, polyvinylidene fluoride, vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymers, vinylidenefluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers, styrene-butadiene copolymerizedrubbers, polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene,polyimides and polyamideimides can be used. Among these, polyimides orpolyamideimides are preferred because of strong binding properties. Theamount of the binding agent for the negative electrode is preferably 7to 20 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the negative electrodeactive material from the view point of obtaining “sufficient bindingforce” and “higher energy” in a trade-off relationship.

As the negative electrode current collector, nickel, copper, silver,aluminum, and alloys thereof are preferred because of electrochemicalstability of these elements. Examples of its shape include foil, a flatplate shape, and a mesh shape. In particular, copper foil is preferred.

[2] Positive Electrode

The positive electrode is obtained, for example, by binding positiveelectrode active material to a positive electrode current collector witha binding agent for a positive electrode.

As the positive electrode active material, known lithium-containingtransition metal oxides can be used. Specific examples include LiCoO₂,LiNiO₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiFePO₄, LiFeSiO₄, LiFeBO₃, Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃, and Li₂FeP₂O₇.Further examples include lithium manganate having a layered structure orlithium manganate having a spinel structure such as LiMnO₂ orLi_(x)Mn₂O₄ (0<x<2); LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, or lithium transition metal oxidesin which parts of the transition metals are replaced by other metals;lithium transition metal oxides in which particular transition metals donot exceed half, such as LiNi_(1/3)Co_(1/3)Mn_(1/3)O₂; and these lithiumtransition metal oxides in which the amount of Li is greater than instoichiometric compositions. In particular, Li_(α)Ni_(β)Co_(γ)Al_(δ)O₂(1≦α≦1.2, β+γ+δ=1, β≧0.7, and γ≦0.2) or Li_(α)Ni_(β)Co_(γ)Mn_(δ)O₂(1≦α≦1.2, β+γ+δ=1, β≧0.6, and γ≦0.2) is preferred. One positiveelectrode active material can be used alone, or two or more positiveelectrode active materials can be used in combination.

The same biding agents that are used for negative electrodes can be usedas biding agents for positive electrodes. Among them, polyvinylidenefluoride is preferred in terms of versatility and low cost. The amountof the binding agent for the positive electrode is preferably 2 to 10parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the positive electrodeactive material from the view point of obtaining “sufficient bindingforce” and “higher energy” in a trade-off relationship.

The same current collector that are used for the negative electrodecurrent collector can be used for the positive electrode currentcollector.

A conductive auxiliary material may be added to a positive electrodeactive material layer including the positive electrode active materialfor the purpose of decreasing impedance. Examples of the conductiveauxiliary material include carbonaceous fine particles such as graphite,carbon black, and acetylene black.

[3] Electrolyte

The electrolyte used in this exemplary embodiment is not particularlylimited, and, for example, known electrolytes can be used. Examples ofelectrolyte include liquid electrolytic solutions and gel-like polymerelectrolytes.

For example, an electrolytic solution can include a nonaqueouselectrolytic solvent and a supporting salt.

The supporting salt is not particularly limited. Examples thereofinclude lithium salts such as LiPF₆, LiClO₄, LiBF₄, LiAlO₄, LiAlCl₄,LiSbF₆, LiSCN, LiCl, and LiCF₃SO₃. One supporting salt can be usedalone, or two or more supporting salts can be mixed and used incombination.

The kind of nonaqueous electrolytic solvent is not particularly limited.Examples thereof include aprotic organic solvents such as cycliccarbonates such as propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC),butylene carbonate (BC), and vinylene carbonate (VC); chain carbonatessuch as dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methylcarbonate (EMC), and dipropyl carbonate (DPC); propylene carbonatederivatives; and aliphatic carboxylates such as methyl formate, methylacetate, and ethyl propionate. For the nonaqueous electrolytic solvent,cyclic or chain carbonates such as ethylene carbonate (EC), propylenecarbonate (PC), butylene carbonate (BC), vinylene carbonate (VC),dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methylcarbonate (MEC), and dipropyl carbonate (DPC) are preferred. Thesesubstances include partially or fully halogenated substances. Onenonaqueous electrolytic solvent can be used alone, or two or morenonaqueous electrolytic solvents can be used in combination.

In addition, as the nonaqueous electrolytic solvent, carbonate compoundsare preferably used. By using carbonate compounds, the ion dissociationproperties of the electrolytic solution are improved, and the viscosityof the electrolytic solution decreases. Therefore, ion mobility can beimproved. But, the carbonate compounds easily generate gases bydecomposition and tend to cause swelling. Therefore, by providing theconfiguration of this exemplary embodiment, swelling in the thicknessdirection can be reduced, and deformation of a battery device can thusbe prevented. Examples of the carbonate compounds include cycliccarbonates and chain carbonates as described above. Examples of thecarbonate compounds include ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate(PC), butylene carbonate (BC), vinylene carbonate (VC), dimethylcarbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methyl carbonate (MEC)and dipropyl carbonate (DPC) as described above. The electrolyticsolution preferably includes the carbonate compound as a main solvent.The content of the carbonate compound in the solvent is preferably 60%by volume or more, more preferably 70% by volume or more, furtherpreferably 80% by volume or more, and particularly preferably 90% byvolume or more.

[4] Separator

As the separator, for example, porous films and nonwoven fabrics ofpolypropylene, polyethylene, and the like can be used. In addition,laminated films in which they are laminated can also be used asseparators.

[5] Package

A package can be appropriately selected as long as it has resistance tothe electrolytic solution and has sufficient water vapor barrierproperties. For example, in the case of a laminate type secondarybattery, as the package, laminate films that are made of aluminum,silica-coated polypropylene, polyethylene and the like can be used. Inparticular, from the view point of reducing volume expansion, aluminumlaminate films are preferably used.

[6] Secondary Battery

The configuration of a secondary battery according to this exemplaryembodiment is not particularly limited and can be, for example, aconfiguration in which an electrode element including a positiveelectrode and a negative electrode that are disposed opposed to eachother and an electrolytic solution are included in a package. The shapeof the secondary battery is not particularly limited. Examples thereofinclude a cylindrical type, a flat wound prismatic type, a laminatedprismatic type, a coin type, a flat wound laminate type, or a laminatetype.

A laminate type secondary battery will be described below as an example.FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of theelectrode element of a laminate type secondary battery. This electrodedevice is formed in such a manner that a plurality of positiveelectrodes c and a plurality of negative electrodes a are alternatelystacked with separators b sandwiched therebetween. The positiveelectrode current collectors e of the positive electrodes c are weldedand electrically connected to each other at the ends not covered withthe positive electrode active material, and further, a positiveelectrode terminal f is welded to the welded part. The negativeelectrode current collectors d of the negative electrodes a are weldedand electrically connected to each other at the ends not covered withthe negative electrode active material, and further, a negativeelectrode terminal g is welded to the welded part.

EXAMPLES

Examples will be shown below, and the present invention will beillustrated and described in more detail. Of course, the invention isnot limited by the following examples.

Example 1

10 g of graphite, 200 mg of carbon nanotubes, and 200 mg of carbonnanohorns were immersed in ethanol and ultrasonically dispersed. Theultrasonic dispersion was performed for 5 minutes. The obtaineddispersion was filtered and dried at 100° C. for 5 hours to obtain acarbon-containing mixture. The carbon-containing mixture made was placedin a boat made of alumina and heated to 1000° C. in an argon gas flow(Ar flow rate; 500 ml/min), and then, the temperature was decreased to800° C. in the argon gas flow for stabilization. Next, ethylene gas (100mL/min) was introduced into argon gas (500 mL/min) to vapor-depositcarbon on the carbon-containing mixture for 20 minutes. Then, theethylene gas was stopped, and the temperature was decreased to aroundroom temperature in the argon gas to obtain a carbon-containingcomposite. FIG. 2 is an SEM image of the carbon-containing mixture. Thesubstance that looks like a plate of 1 μm or more indicates graphite,and the spherical substance of about 100 nm indicates carbon nanohorns.In addition, the fibrous substance having a diameter of about 200 nmindicates carbon nanotubes. Compared with the carbon-containingcomposite (see FIG. 3) obtained by the process after obtaining thecarbon-containing mixture, a clean surface structure is observed.

FIG. 3 is an SEM photograph of the obtained carbon-containing composite.The substance that looks like a plate of 1 μm or more indicatesgraphite, and the spherical substance of about 100 nm indicates carbonnanohorns. In addition, the fibrous substance that has a diameter ofabout 200 nm indicates carbon nanotubes. In this Example, thecarbon-containing mixture is heat-treated, and then, its surface iscoated with the carbon material, and therefore, compared with thecarbon-containing mixture in FIG. 2, small unevenness is observed on thesurface.

Further, 80% by mass of the obtained carbon-containing composite and 20%by mass of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were mixed, Nmethyl-2-pyrrolidinone was further mixed, and the mixture wassufficiently stirred to prepare a negative electrode slurry. Thenegative electrode slurry was applied on copper foil having a thicknessof 10 μm to form a film that had a thickness of 100 μm. Then, the coatedcopper foil was dried at 120° C. for 1 hour, and then, an electrode waspressure-formed by a roller press. Further, this electrode was punchedinto 2 cm² to make a negative electrode. The sheet resistance of theobtained negative electrode was measured and, as a result, was 80Ω/□.

<Battery Characteristics>

A lithium ion secondary battery (test cell) was made using the abovenegative electrode, Li foil as a positive electrode, an electrolyticsolution, and a separator. The electrolytic solution was prepared bydissolving LiPF₆ in a mixed solvent of ethylene carbonate and methylethyl carbonate (volume ratio 3:7) at a concentration of 1 M. As theseparator, a 30 μm porous film made of polyethylene was used.

For the secondary battery made, charge and discharge characteristicswere examined as follows. First, the secondary battery was set in acharge and discharge tester, charged at a constant current of 0.5 mA/cm²until the voltage reached 0.02 V, and charged in the state of 0.02 Vwith the current decreased. Then, the charge was completed at a pointwhen the current value reached 60 μA/cm². The discharge was performed ata constant current of 0.5 mA/cm², and completed at a point when the cellvoltage reached 2.0 V, and the discharge capacity was obtained. Thisoperation was repeated 50 times, and the cycle characteristics wasexamined. As a result, the retention rate of discharge capacity afterthe cycle test (the retention rate of discharge capacity after 50 cyclesto discharge capacity after 1 cycle) was 94%.

Comparative Example 1

A negative electrode and a secondary battery (test cell) were made as inExample 1 except that the above carbon-containing mixture was used asthe negative electrode active material instead of the carbon-containingcomposite, and the sheet resistance and the charge and dischargecharacteristics were examined. The sheet resistance of the obtainednegative electrode was measured as in Example 1 and was 300Ω/□, whichwas higher than the sheet resistance of the negative electrode using thecarbon-containing composite. In addition, the retention rate of thedischarge capacity was 90%, which was lower than the retention rate ofthe secondary battery using the negative electrode including thecarbon-containing composite.

In addition, the results of evaluating the discharge ratecharacteristics of the secondary batteries obtained in Example 1 andComparative Example 1 at 0.1 C, 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C, and 3 C are shown inFIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, a decrease in capacity due to an increase inrate was larger in the secondary battery obtained in Comparative Example1 (FIG. 5 (b)) than in the secondary battery obtained in Example 1 (FIG.5 (a)). In addition, as seen from FIG. 5, it was seen that the capacityof the secondary battery according to this exemplary embodiment wasenhanced when compared with Comparative Example 1 at the same rate.

Example 2

A negative electrode was made as in Example 1 except that acetyleneblack was used instead of carbon nanohorns, and the sheet resistance wasmeasured. The result is shown in Table 1.

Example 3

A negative electrode was made as in Example 1 except that silicon wasused instead of graphite, and acetylene black was used instead of carbonnanohorns, and the sheet resistance was measured. The result is shown inTable 1.

Example 4

A negative electrode was made as in Example 1 except that a siliconoxide was used instead of graphite, and acetylene black was used insteadof carbon nanohorns, and the sheet resistance was measured. The resultis shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 2

A carbon-containing mixture was made as in Example 1 except thatacetylene black was used instead of carbon nanohorns. A negativeelectrode was made as in Example 1 except that the carbon-containingmixture was used as the negative electrode active material instead ofthe carbon-containing composite, and the sheet resistance was measured.The result is shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 3

A carbon-containing mixture was made as in Example 1 except that siliconwas used instead of graphite, and acetylene black was used instead ofcarbon nanohorns. A negative electrode was made as in Example 1 exceptthat the carbon-containing mixture was used as the negative electrodeactive material instead of the carbon-containing composite, and thesheet resistance was measured. The result is shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 4

A carbon-containing mixture was made as in Example 1 except that asilicon oxide was used instead of graphite, and acetylene black was usedinstead of carbon nanohorns. A negative electrode was made as in Example1 except that the carbon-containing mixture was used as the negativeelectrode active material instead of the carbon-containing composite,and sheet resistance was measured. The result is shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Sheet Conductive resist- Active Conductive carbon Carbon ancematerial nanofibers particles coating (Ω/□) Example 2 Graphite CarbonAcetylene With 300 nanotubes black carbon coating Example 3 SiliconCarbon Acetylene With 400 nanotubes black carbon coating Example 4Silicon Carbon Acetylene With 400 oxide nanotubes black carbon coatingComparative Graphite Carbon Acetylene Without 500 Example 2 nanotubesblack carbon coating Comparative Silicon Carbon Acetylene Without 700Example 3 nanotubes black carbon coating Comparative Silicon CarbonAcetylene Without 700 Example 4 oxide nanotubes black carbon coating

From the above results, it was seen that by carbon-coating thecarbon-containing mixture to integrate it, the electrode resistancedecreased, and the rate characteristics and the cycle characteristicswere improved.

According to the exemplary embodiment, a lithium secondary batteryhaving excellent load characteristics at high current and an excellentcapacity retention rate can be provided.

This application claims the right of priority to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2012-128926 filed on Jun. 6, 2012, the entire content ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

While the present invention has been described with reference to theexemplary embodiments and the Examples, the present invention is notlimited to the above exemplary embodiments and the Examples. Variouschanges that can be understood by those skilled in the art may be madeto the constitution and details of the present invention within thescope thereof

Further Exemplary Embodiment 1

A negative electrode active material comprising a carbon-containingcomposite,

wherein, in the carbon-containing composite, an active material capableof intercalating and deintercalating lithium, conductive nanofibers andconductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon material and areintegrated.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 2

The negative electrode active material according to further exemplaryembodiment 1, wherein the conductive nanofibers are carbon nanotubes.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 3

The negative electrode active material according to further exemplaryembodiment 1 or 2, wherein the conductive carbon particles are carbonnanohorns.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 4

The negative electrode active material according to further exemplaryembodiment 1, wherein the conductive nanofibers are carbon nanotubes,and the conductive carbon particles are carbon nanohorns.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 5

The negative electrode active material according to further exemplaryembodiment 4, wherein micropores are formed in the carbon nanohorns.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 6

The negative electrode active material according to further exemplaryembodiment 4 or 5, wherein the carbon nanohoms and the carbon nanotubesare immobilized by chemical bonds formed between carbon atoms includedin the carbon nanohorns and carbon atoms included in the carbonnanotubes.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 7

The negative electrode active material according to any one of furtherexemplary embodiments 4 to 6, wherein the active material, the carbonnanotubes and the carbon nanohoms are immobilized by chemical bondsformed between surfaces of the active material, the carbon nanotubes andthe carbon nanohorns.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 8

The negative electrode active material according to any one of furtherexemplary embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the active material, theconductive nanofibers and the conductive carbon particles are integratedby being coated with the carbon material in a state in which the carbonnanohoms are in contact with each of the active material and theconductive nanofibers.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 9

The negative electrode active material according to any one of furtherexemplary embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the carbon-containing compositehas a configuration in which a carbon-containing mixture comprising theactive material, the conductive nanofibers and the conductive carbonparticles is coated with the carbon material.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 10

The negative electrode active material according to any one of furtherexemplary embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the active material is buried in aconductive network structure comprising the conductive nanofibers.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 11

The negative electrode active material according to any one of furtherexemplary embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the active material is graphite,silicon or a silicon oxide.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 12

A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery comprising thenegative electrode active material according to any one of furtherexemplary embodiments 1 to 11.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 13

A lithium secondary battery comprising the negative electrode for alithium secondary battery according to further exemplary embodiment 12.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 14

A method for producing a negative electrode active material, comprising:

(1) mixing active material capable of intercalating and deintercalatinglithium, conductive nanofibers, and conductive carbon particles toobtain a carbon-containing mixture; and

(2) coating the carbon-containing mixture with a carbon material tointegrate the active material, the conductive nanofibers and theconductive carbon particles.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 15

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto further exemplary embodiment 14, wherein in the step (2), thecarbon-containing mixture is coated with the carbon material using a CVDmethod.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 16

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto further exemplary embodiment 15, wherein in the CVD method,temperature is 500 to 1200° C., and methane, ethane, ethylene,acetylene, benzene, methanol or ethanol is used as a carbon source ofthe carbon material.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 17

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto any one of further exemplary embodiments 14 to 16, wherein theconductive nanofibers are carbon nanotubes.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 18

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto any one of further exemplary embodiments 14 to 17, wherein theconductive carbon particles are carbon nanohoms.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 19

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto any one of further exemplary embodiments 14 to 16, wherein theconductive nanofibers are carbon nanotubes, and the conductive carbonparticles are carbon nanohorns.

Further Exemplary Embodiment 20

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto further exemplary embodiment 19, further comprising a step ofperforming heat treatment between the step (1) and the step (2).

Further Exemplary Embodiment 21

The method for producing a negative electrode active material accordingto further exemplary embodiment 20, wherein bonds are formed at leastbetween the carbon nanohorns and the carbon nanotubes by the heattreatment.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A low-resistance electrode material comprising: an active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ion, conductive nanofibers, and conductive carbon particles, wherein the active material, the conductive nanofibers, and the conductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon film; the active material, the conductive nanofibers, and the conductive carbon particles are integrated with the carbon film to form a carbon-containing composite; the conductive carbon particles are in contact with the active material and the conductive nanofibers in the carbon-containing composite; an average particle diameter of the active material is greater than or equal to 1 micrometer; an average particle diameter of the conductive carbon particles is greater than or equal to 1 nanometer and less than or equal to 200 nanometers; a length of the conductive nanofibers is greater than or equal to 1 micrometer and less than or equal to 1000 micrometers; a diameter of the conductive nanofiber is greater than or equal to 1 nanometer and less than or equal to 500 nanometers; a thickness of the carbon film is greater than or equal to 1 nanometer and less than or equal to 100 nanometers; a content of the active material in the mixture is between 85 percent and 99 percent by mass; a content of the conductive nanofibers in the mixture is between 0.1 percent and 10 percent by mass, and a content of the conductive carbon particles in the mixture is between 0.1 percent and 10 percent by mass.
 12. The low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, wherein the conductive nanofibers comprises carbon nanotubes.
 13. The low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, wherein the conductive carbon particles comprises acetylene black, ketjen black, furnace black, micrographite, or amorphous carbon.
 14. The low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, wherein the conductive carbon particles comprises acetylene black.
 15. The low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, wherein the active material comprises a carbon material, silicon, or a silicon-containing compound.
 16. The low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, wherein the active material comprises graphite, silicon, or a silicon oxide.
 17. The low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, wherein the active material is buried in a conductive network structure comprising the conductive nanofibers.
 18. A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery comprising the low-resistance electrode material according to claim
 11. 19. A lithium secondary battery comprising the negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim
 18. 20. A method for producing the low-resistance electrode material according to claim 11, comprising: forming a mixture comprising active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ion, conductive nanofibers, and conductive carbon particles by mixing them; and coating the mixture with a carbon material to integrate the active material, the conductive nanofibers, and the conductive carbon particles to form a carbon-containing composite; wherein the active material, the conductive nanofibers, and the conductive carbon particles are coated with the carbon material by the coating to form a carbon film; and the conductive carbon particles are in contact with the active material and the conductive nanofibers in the carbon-containing composite.
 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the conductive nanofibers comprises carbon nanotubes.
 22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the conductive carbon particles comprises acetylene black, ketjen black, furnace black, micrographite, or amorphous carbon.
 23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the conductive carbon particles comprises acetylene black.
 24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the active material comprises a carbon material, silicon, or a silicon-containing compound.
 25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the active material comprises graphite, silicon, or a silicon oxide. 